Making cementitious articles



Jan. 21, 1930. A. HENDERSON MAKING GEMENTITIOUS ARTICLES Filed Dec. 21,1927 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR A. HENDE'IQSON 1,744,309

MAKING CEMENT-ITIOUS ARTICLES Filed Dec/21. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan.21, 1930.

z a. l 5 l 2 7M I a \l nflu 5 f Jan. 21 1930. A. HENDERSON 1,744,309

mxme CEMENTITIOUS VARTICLES Filed Dec. 21'. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 =xwsggsg INVENTOR Jan. 21, 1930. A. HENDERSON 1,744,309

MAKING QEMENTITIOUS ARTICLES Filed D80. 21. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MW mmm-i

allel. In making articles by the tamping or Patented Jan. 21, 1930UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT -HENDERSON, OE PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLVANIA, AS SIG-NOR, BY DIRECT AND M ESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO HENDERSON& HATCHER, INC., F PITTSBURGH, PENN- SYLVANIA, A GQRPORATIONQF DELAWAREMAKING CEMENTITIOUS ARTICLES Application filed December 21, 1927. SerialNo. 241,650.

pense and with unusually high quality. By

theaterm articles as herein used, I intend to include only cementitio'usbodies which are adapted to be transported after manufacture to a placeof use as distinguished from cementitious bodies, such as curbs,

pavements, etc., which are cast in situ.

There are two general methods of makmg cementitious bodies, one of thembeing by mixing a fluid cementitious mix and pouring it into a mold; theother being by tamping a considerably drier mix into the mold. Thegeneral process of manufacturing poured articles comprising filling themolds at a pouring station and transporting them to a.

curing chamber where they are subjected Q to heat for a suflicientlength of time to cause setting. 7 0 L The tamped articles are made 1n apress n or tamping machine, and are there strippe 0f the mold-and takento the curing chamber on pallets. v

In either case,'there is a material disadvantage in moving the articlesfrom the point of formation to the curing chamber. The. 4 cementitiousmix for the poured articles is so fluid that there is danger of spillinga part of the material from. the mold, thus resulting in non-uniformarticles. .Another disadvantage'lies in the fact that the moldsfrequently are not level when they are positioned in the curing chamberwith the result that the finished articles are imperfect. In the case ofa block or slab, this results in the top and bottom faces lying at anangle to one another instead of being truly parpressing method, there isdanger of breaking some of the articles during transportation,

fthus increasing the expense. In either vide for forming a cementitiousarticle and curing the same without. movement thereof curing chamber andfill them with a cementiand subjected to a curing heat.

method the cost of handling is high. .I'protious mix Without movement ofthe mold, after which the mold or molds are covered In the making ofcored articles, provision is made for withdrawing the cores, eitherpartially or entirely, after the articles have attained their initialset. This is of value inthat it permits the atmosphere in thecuringchamberto circulate through the cored openings, thus obtainingmore uniform and rapid curing of the articles.

The setting of cement may be said to occur in two stages. Theinitialasetting is a matter of hours and as soon as it" is completed thearticle is self-sustaining. However,"it requires a-further-ageing ofsome days or weeks before the article develops" its maximum strength.Unless the articles are carefully handled before the agein period has advanced, there is danger of hreakage. I provide a storage space adjacentthe curing f chamber and a conveyor extending'from the curing chamber tothis storage space so that the cured articles may be transported to thestorage space with a minimum of difliculty, and are'allowed to age anddevelop their final strength. I

Since the articles are cured at the point where they are formed, gangforms may be employed. There is no practical limitation on the Weight ofthese forms since they need not be transported. It is therefore possibleto provide a long curing chamber with a large number of forms placedside by side; and to supply the cementitious mix at the points desiredalong the curing chamber. A

hopper running on wheels may be employed and used to fill successiveforms.

Material economies in equipment and space may be eifected by employingform members adapted to be arranged-side by-side, each member in itselfbeing an incomplete form but cooperating with an adjacent member toformv a complete form. Y

In-the accompanying drawings illustrating the presentpreferredembodiment'ofmy invention as applied to the manufacture of.

various types of articles, Figure 1 is a top plan view, largelydiagrammatic, of a plant constructed according to my invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line IIII of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view to enlarged scale ofa modified form of a curingchamber,

Figure 4 is a still further modified view corresponding to Figure 3but'being partly broken away and showing another manner of supportingthe forms in the curing chamber,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the curing :chamber showingone form of form for making slabs,

Figure 6 is a similar view showing'a modified slab form,

Figure 7 isea similar view showing the casting of slabs on edge,

Figure 8 is a view corresponding to Figure 4 but showing cored forms formaking concrete blocks, f Figure'9 is a transverse view corresponding toFigure 8 and showing the 3 forms in elevation, Figure 10 is a sectiontaken on the line XX of Figure 8,

Figure 11 is a top plan viewof the forms shown in Figure 8,

Figure 12 1s a top plan view of a modified form of formsfor making coredarticles,

Figure 13 is a section taken on the. line' XIIIXI II of Figure 12,

Figure 14 is a vlew'taken longitudinally of the curing-chamber andshowing a form of form for casting solid fiat slabs, and

Figure 15 is a longitudinal, horizontal section taken through one of theform members shown in Figure 14. 4

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a plant for making cementitious articles,comprising two main bays 2, each having storagejspaces 3, along eachside for finished articles. Roadways 4 are provided alongside each rowof storage spaces so that material in the storage spaces canbe readilytransferred to trucks.

Each bay 2'comprises a building 4housing .a lon curing chamber 5. Thecuring cham-; her 5 lsopen at the top and is provided with steam heatingpipes 5" so that when the chamber is covered thedesired temperatureconditions for curing the articles may be maintained in the chamber. Thecuring chamber is provided with a cover which is preferabl made in aplurality of sections 6 suspen ed by cables 7 from the roofof thebuilding 4" and provided with counterweights 8 so that each section maybereadily raised or lowered, as desired.

Tracks 9 run along each side of the curing g chamber so thatcementitious material can be transported to any point therealong.

The sidewalls of the curing chamber 5 iupport gangforms 10. These formsare filled with material carried thereto by trucks on the tracks 9. andafter being filled are not moved until the articles have been cured. Theforms are filled and then screeded, after which the covers 6 are loweredinto place and .steam is admitted to the pipes 5 to raise' the curinchamber to the desired temperature. After the curing has been completed,the covers 6 are removed and the cured articles are transferred to thestorage yards 3. Roller conveyor-s11 are provided so that the articlesmay be lifted directly. from the forms and placed thereonpfor deliveryto thestoragespaces. The articles do not develop their maximum strengthuntil after considerable ageing, and it is therefore important tominiinize handling .of the article's before this ageing has beeneflected. With a plant layout such as shown in Figures 1 and 2, thearticles may be readily taken from the forms to the storage yard with aminimum of expense and breakage.

Since the forms 10 are notv moved after I they are filled-, there is nodanger of the material being partly spilled, thus reducing the volumeofthe articles, or of the forms being slightly tilted, thus producingarticles which are out of square. p Figure 3 shows a modified form'ofcuring chamber wherein the chamber proper is built up of side walls 12provided with heating pipes 13. I beams 14 are placed on topof the sidewalls 12 and the forms 15 are supported on the lower side flan es bythese I beams. The upper flanges 0% the I beams constitute tracks for awheeled carriage 16 carrying ahopper 17 which may be filled with the"cementitious mix from a mix at the end of the-curing chamber and thenmoved along the curin chamber so as to fill the forms therein. the formshave been filled the carriage 16 is moved to the end of the chamber andthe covers 18 are lowered into place.

- Figures 4 to 15 inclusive, show various types of forms which may beemployed. Figures 4'a-nd 5 ShOW'fl curing chamber having rails 19supporting forms for the making of slabs which are generally U shaped incross he cover is indicated at 18. After,

section. These forms comprise cores 20 and T sha ed members 21 havingbases 22 which exten from one'core 20 to another and serve to hold them,in spaced relation. The upstanding leg of each T member 21 constitutes aside wall portion for each form. As

will be seen from Figure 5, the T shaped members 21 each constitute apart of two adjacent forms. After the form members 20 and 21 have beenassembled, and members 22 are secured/inp'lace and the cementitious ma-'terial is then oured. Reinforcing 23 may be put in place uring thepouring if desired.

The core members 20 are of thin metal, and are open at the bottom sothat the heat of the curing chamber is efficiently transferred to thepoured cement, thus reducing the time required for curing.

After the curing has. been completed, the T member at the end of thefilled set of forms is slid sidewise on the rails 19, thus making thecured article at the end of the string accessible for handling. Afterthis end article has been removed the next T shaped form member 21 isslid out of the way and a second article in the string is removed, thisprocess being continuned until all of the-articles have been taken away.

Figure 6 showsa modified form for slabs wherein the side forming members24 are held in spaced relationby members 25; With thisconstructioncirculation of heated air above the articles is made possible.

Figure 7 shows a set of forms forcastin slabs on edge. Each form 26 isgenerally E shaped in cross section and is provided with ends 27 so asto make, in efiect, an open sided box. When these boxes are placed sideby side, as shown in Figure 7, they cooperate to form complete forms.Each box is provided with a fixed core 28 so as to make the slabgenerally U shape; Figures 8 to 1O for the manufacture of concreteblocks. The forms proper each comprise a central stringer 29 which, asshown in Figure 10,. may be shaped to provide rock or other ornamentalfaces on the blocks. The stringer-s29 are secured at each end to crossmembers 30 which rest on rails 31 on the sides of the curing chamber.The rails 31 are. made of angles which ,are so spaced as'to just receivethe forms between them, thus accurately positioning the forms in thechamber. The cross members 30 maintain the stringers 29 truly.

vertical and are rovided with end faces 30 1 against which'stringers 32,forming the outer 38 which are secured in place, but the intermediatecores are all connected to the cros members 35. I

After these forms have been assembled and the material has been pouredthe cover is lowered and curing commences. After the articles haveattained their initial set, the

hooks 36 are removed thus leaving the cross members unsupported.The/cross members 35 are forced down until they rest on. the upper steamfpipeii. ,Since the cores are-ta-fi pered, this leaves an opening aroundeach core so that the heated gases may circulate through the coredopen-mgs- With this arrangement uniformly size'dand shaped blocks I maybe manufactured at a t IJIICIHSIVB, show gang forms may be employed.

minimum of expense.

type of form comprises bottom stringers 39 whichmay have rock or otherornamental faces 40 formed thereon. A central vertical stringer 41havingcross members 42'secured to the ends thereofis placed on thesupporting rails and a bottom member 39 is placed on eitherside'thereof. A stringer 41 carries spaced horizontally extending cores43.. The stringers 39 carry upstanding division walls 44defining theendsof the articles being cast. A stringer 45 carrying cores 46 adaptedto abut,the cores 43 is placed at either side of the unit; The completeassemblage isshown in Figure 12. After the material Figures 12 and 13showa form wherein the ,cores are in the horizontal direction. This hasbeen poured, and has attained its initial set, the stringers 45 may bepulled sidewis'e and then the bottom members 39 may be pulled away fromthe central stringer 41. In

this way the cores are removed from the articles and] further curing iseffected with free w circulation of air through the cored openings.Figures .14 and 15 show forms for the casting of solid slabs; Theseforms are similar to those of Figure 7 except that they are not providedwith cores. Figure 15 shows a longitudinal section through one of theform bottom wall 47, a vertical longitudinal wall '48 and walls 49 whichdivide each form member into a plurality of open sided boxes. The formsherein illustrated may be filled with a fluid cementitious mix which ispouredjnto place, or a stiffer mix 'ad -ptedfor tampifig or vibrating soas to The various forms em loyed for making-: the different articles maye readily handled,

as the form members need not be lifted, but

can be slid along the supporting rails so as to make the cast articlesaccessible for removal. When assembling the form members, it is onlynecessary to slide them tomembers. The form members comprises a properlyfill the forms, I

gether. This does away with a great deal of heavy labor and'materiallyspeeds up the r process. 1

Where the forms are filled with a mix which is stiff enough to bevibrated qr tamped into position, it is not necessary to wait until thearticles have. acquired their initial set before removing the cores, asthe mix is stiff enough to be self-sustaining after it has been,properly compacted by the ta nping or vibrating operation. In certaincases it may be advantageous to employ tainping orvibrating rather thanto use a mix which is thin enough to be poured as the cores can bedropped almost immediately after the articles have been formed by thecamping orvibrating method, thereby doing'away with the necessity ofraising the cover. Where a poured mix is employed, the cover of thecuring chamber will be lowered during'the period in which the mixacquires its initial set and must thereafter be raised in an amountsufiicient to give accessjtozthe coring structure.

While have illustratedand described the preferred form of my invention,it will be understood that it is not thus limited, but

may be otherwise practiced or embodied withy in the scope of thefollowing claims.

\Iclaim: 1 i

1. The method of making cementitious articles, 'which includes fillin amold with a cementitious mix and, with substantially no withacementi'tious mix, permitting the mix to set sufliciently to beself-sustaining and then so moving the core that it isout of contactwith the .formed article, and curing the formed article while it remainsin the mold. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 1

ALBERT HENDERSON.

movement of the mold, applying heat in such manner that the entire moldis surrounded with a heated atmosphere, thus curing the article therein;

2. The-method of making cementitious are chamber a mold with a core,filling the mo with a cementitious mix, withdrawing the 'core after themix has set .sufiiciently to be self-sustaining, and curing the articlethus formed while it remains in the mold.

3. The method of making cementitious articles, which includes providingin a curing chamber a mold having walls and a core, filling the moldwith a cementitious mix, withdrawing the core and removing a mold wellafter the article thus formed has set sufliticles, which includesproviding in a curin cientlyto be self-sustaining, and.curing thearticle. while it remains in the-mold.

4. The inethodof making cementitious articles, which includes providingin a curing chamber a mold havingv walls, filling the mol with-acementitious mix, removing a mold I wall after the mix has setsuificiently to be' self-sustaining, and curing the article thus 40formed while it remains in the mold.

5. Apparatus for making cementitious ar-,

ticles, including a mold hav in' a bottom and side wallsada'pted for theormation of a cementitious article, a curing chamber comvpletelysurrounding the mold, and means for supplying a cementitious mix to themold while it is in the curing chamber, whereby movement of the moldfrom the time it is filled until the article therein ris cured isILVOldd v entitious mix to the mold while it is positioned in the curingchamber, whereby movement of the mold from the time it isfilled untilthe article therein is cured is avoided.

7. The method of making cementitious ar- 1 ticles, which includesproviding in a curing chamber a mold with a core, filling the mold

